1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electron beam apparatuses using electron-emitting devices, in particular to an electron beam apparatus having features in an electrode configuration of a rear plate.
2. Description of the Related Art
A usage mode of the electron-emitting device conventionally includes an image display apparatus. A flat electron beam display panel having a configuration in which an electron source plate (rear plate) including great number of cold cathode electron-emitting devices and a face plate including an anode electrode and a light emitting member are faced to each other in parallel and the space in between is exhausted in vacuum is known. The flat electron beam display panel achieves lighter weight and larger screen compared to a cathode-ray tube (CRT) which is currently being widely used. The flat electron beam display panel also provides an image of higher luminance and higher quality compared to a flat display panel using liquid crystals and other flat display panels such as plasma display and electroluminescent display.
In the electron beam display panel, a voltage is applied between the anode electrode and the device to accelerate the electrons emitted from the cold cathode electron-emitting device. High voltage is advantageously applied to obtain maximum light emitting luminance. The electron beam might diffuse before reaching the face plate depending on the type of device. Thus, the distance (inter-substrate distance) between the rear plate and the face plate is preferably short in order to realize a display of high resolution.
However, since high electric field is inevitably generated between the substrates when the inter-substrate distance becomes short, a phenomenon in which the electron-emitting device gets damaged by discharge is likely to occur.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-209991 (US2006/164001A1) discloses an electron beam apparatus that prevents melting and disconnection of device electrodes and that prevents creeping discharge by flowing discharge current to an additional electrode arranged at the end of the device electrode.